Sip Your Way Through Great Nebraska Wineries

2001 W. Raymond Road, Raymond, Neb.

James Arthur Vineyards has making wine since 1996. Located near Lincoln, it's a popular destination for wine loves. The vineyard's Brianna grape is award-winning, so try their Sparkling Brianna. Here's how they describe it: "Think of sitting on a tropical beach somewhere, listening to the waves slowly lapping up on the sand all around you as the cool ocean breeze blows by you. That’s the feeling you’ll get when you try this sparkling wine..."

Nice, right?

17111 S. 138th St., Springfield, Neb.

One of the closest wineries to Omaha, Soaring Wings is the winery I've visited most over the years. They've been open since 2004, and have a particularly faithful following who attend their outdoor concerts and fall grape stomping events. The Edelweiss at Soaring WIngs is one of their most popular wines. It's a sweet white wine with a floral nose and crisp apple notes.

702 Main St., Brownville, Neb.

A trip to Brownville always includes a stop at Whiskey Run Creek Winery for me. It's quite possibly the most picturesque Nebraska winery: It's housed in a 100-year-old barn. I like to get a glass of their Vignoles. It has a nice citrusy flavor with hints of apricot and pineapple.

Apple House Market, 2611 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, Neb.

Lied Lodge, 2700 Sylvan Road, Nebraska City, Neb.

While there isn't a physical winery to visit at Arbor Day Farm, you can go to the tasting room inside Apple House Market, or you can purchase bottles inside the Lied Lodge Gift Shop (there are occasional wine tastings at the gift shop, too). They specialize in apple wines and fruit wines, so you'll want to try one of those when you're there. The Apple Pie wine is an excellent sweet wine with a hint of cinnamon that's perfect for wassail recipes.

1402 Dennis Dean Road, Ashland, Neb.

I'll admit how I found this winery: Cellar 426 is the closest winery to Mahoney State Park and, well, I needed a break from my family. Just a quick one with my sister, and then we were back hanging out with our husbands and kids and happy as could be.

I've also went to Cellar 426 with a group of girlfriends while we were staying at Platte River State Park, so I guess what I'm saying is that this is the place to hang out, escape, and have a little fun. You can get a wine flight or a wine sampling if you aren't ready to commit to a full glass or bottle.

43315 Road 757, Lexington, Neb.

Mac's Creek Vineyards and Winery is a family-owned enterprise since 2001. I don't have a particular favorite, so if you get a chance to visit the winery I recommend trying a flight to sample a variety. Or, I always feel like a Edelweiss is a safe bet to try at any Nebraska winery. Mac's Creek's is a semi-sweet white wine with some intense falvors of peach and apricot. Edelweiss is similar to a Riesling.

SchillingBridge Winery & Microbrewery, 6 blocks west of 14th Street and Highway 50, Pawnee City, Neb.

SchillingBridge Cork & Taphouse, 575 Fallbrook Blvd., Suite 109, Lincoln, Neb.

SchillingBridge is a winery I have found offering samples at Omaha farmers markets. The family-run winery and microbrewery is based out of Pawnee City, but also has a charming taphouse in Lincoln. Food is available at the winery on Saturdays and Sundays. If sweet wine is your thing, check out their Hell on Heels white wine.

Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard, 5995 G Road, Nebraska City, Neb.

Kimmel is first and foremost an apple orchard, and a lovely fall destination to boot. Over the years, the orchard expanded to include a vineyard, and a tasting room on-site in the Apple Barn. The set-up lends itself well to sampling a variety of wines. The Kimmel Reserve is a delicious blend of Vignoles, La Crosse and Seyval Blanc grapes.

Niobrara Valley Vineyards, 90256 State Spur 16F Nenzel, Neb.

Niobrara Valley Vineyards has set out to prove that the Nebraska Sandhills can produce great wine. If you visit their tasting room, try their dry white Brianna, which has won several awards in the last seven years.

1600 16th St., Central City, Neb.

The central Nebraksa winery was started by Nick and Kristen Ryan, whose first harvest was in 2017 (though their vineyard vines were started in 2003). Their Afternoon Delight is fairly close to a Reisling in flavor, with hints of pineapple and green apple. It's worth pointing out they have a full menu of food, including a kid's menu.